Family Troubles
by specialminds
Summary: My sister was trying to steal my work, so I'm putting my old story here so she can't. I made this when I was super young so it's bad. It's about Grumpy having family issues while also being accused of murder. I made this for Corrine, a friend of mine, to promote her gardening store that sold decorations long ago. The store is gone now and she is deceased. Corrine, this is for you.


One time long ago, there was an old gnome in a shop who just so happened to be being yelled at by his boss…well maybe not one time…

" _ **This is the last time I'm going to tell you, stop being rude to the customers!"**_

" _ **I ain't BEING rude to the customers! I tell ya' I'm simply pointing out the obvious!"**_

" _ **Well your pointing is losing ME customers! How many times have you used the word fool today? I swear I could play a drinking game! Now I've been VERY patient with you because you and your brothers are barely getting by, but I will NOT tolerate your attitude!"**_

The gnome pulled his brown hat down over his head in frustration, clearly tired of all the yelling _. What had he done to deserve this? He only told the customer to use their eyes and make an attempt to find the garden hoses themselves…they didn't even bother to look around! They just came in and asked for his assistance as if he didn't look busy. He had tried to explain this to his boss, but the woman just wouldn't listen to reason!_

" **Humph!** **Shows just how well woman do in management positions**."

" _ **What was that?!"**_

" **What was what?"**

The young woman pressed her fingers into her eyes _._ She was just as tired of the routine ashe was _. Why did she have to hire HIM? He had six other brothers, but none of them wanted the job._ _Even_ _the little retarded one would have been a better choice, but no. They already had jobs working in the mines after all, and they were good at it. If more people would just apply at her store…_

" **Go home Grumpy…just go home."**

" **Humph!"**

Grumpy turned around towards the exit and stomped out of the store without another every day he'd been through this _._ He quit his job at the mine because he and his brothers needed more money, but now he wondered if that was a knew itwas only a matter of time before he was fired _. What on earth made Doc think he'd be good at customer service?_

" **I should've never had listened to that old goat! All he does is make one bad choice after another. It's a miracle our house weren't burnt down sooner!"**

Grumpy crawled into one of the tents he bought at Garden and Yard Décor with every intention of going to sleep before his brothers showed up to greet him _._ Seeing as he was sent away early he should have been able to get some extra rest before going back to his job there, but then again it's hard to avoid the eyes of six people who were born and raised in the woods and therefor knew the dangers that lurked within and were always alert _. Since_

 _Dopey had burned their house down due to Doc stating that it was "his turn to cook" they had been living in the tents and on the alert to any and all dangers. Luckily the stuff at Garden and Yard Décor was cheap so not much money was spent on it, but he did wish the job there wasn't so annoying. Living in the woods with his brothers and Snow White had made him forget why he hated people. Well he certainly remembered now._

" **Hello there Grumpy, welcome home!"**

Grumpy cringed at the sound of Happy's voice. He hated him almost as much as he hated Doc. Sometimes Grumpy wondered if he and Dopey were BOTH retarded. _Didn't he realize they were homeless and almost broke?_

" **We don't have a home ya' fool. Doc there destroyed it."**

" _ **I didn't destroy anything! That was D-Dopey and you know it**_ **!"** yelled Doc by their campfire.

" _ **I know yer' a senile old fool who ain't fit to make any decisions on his own**_ **!"** Grumpy yelled back.

Happy's cheerful grin turned into a nervous one _. Doc and Grumpy's arguments had never been fun to listen to, but now they were so much worse. They were getting personal, larger in number, and violent. Happy always did his best to keep his brother's moral high, but it was so difficult and now that there weren't any separate rooms for them to storm off to it had become down right impossible._

" _ **I w-will NOT tolerate you insulting our brothers just because you've had a restful, uh a stressful day at work!"**_

" _ **Tolerate? I don't remember dying and making you boss!"**_

" _ **Oh you're the boss are you? No one's listened to you for years!"**_

" _ **And look where we are Doc! We're homeless! We're almost broke! Snow White is gone and guess who's responsible for that as well?"**_

" **That would be the Prince."**

" _ **That would be YOU! It was YOU who let that complete stranger, that CREEP take her away! Just like it's YER fault we're livin' in a tent!"**_

" _ **It's M-MY fault? I don't remember burning the mouse, I mean the house down and I don't remember handing her over to him or seeing you do anything!"**_

" **I wasn't in my right mind. I was so relieved I just wasn't careful. I forgot ya' can't judge a book by its cover."** _ **"THAT'S your excuse? What does that even mean? She loves him and she deserves to live her own life the way she wants to!"**_

" _ **She's ain't FIT to make her own decisions! She don't THINK! She don't LISTEN! She's a PRINCESS! What does she know about life? She can't take care of herself!"**_

" **She doesn't need to, she has a prince looking after her."**

" **And how much do we know about this prince hmm?"**

" **We know that Snow White is in love with him, a-and he's rich and owns a castle. I'm pretty sure she's well cough, er, off."**

" _ **We also know that he has no problem with kissing people who are clearly DEAD! How do we know he's even the Prince? Because he dresses nice? Because he rode up on a white horse? I could do that!**_ **"**

Happy snickered at the thought.

" **Be quiet Happy."**

" **You be quiet. Be quiet and l-leave Happy alone and me too. Go to sleep you old warthog."**

" **Don't tell me what to do. Ya' don't have the authority to tell me what to do."**

" **Do it anyway."**

" **I don't think I will. I think I'll go live with Snow White. I've had enough of this here nonsense."**

Grumpy got out of the tent and brushed off his shirt.

" **We talked about this. She's a princess and doesn't want a bunch of old tin, er men swarming around her like flies, and I'm sure the Prince won't appreciate it e-either."**

' **I couldn't care less."**

" **And that's your whole p-problem."**

" **Ain't as bad as yer speech impediment. I'm outta here!"**

Walking off into the woods, Grumpy tried to remember just where the castle was. He knew he could see it from the place where he and his brothers had placed Snow White, but it was difficult just finding that area due to the fact that Grumpy never really went outside. Luckily dead flowers covered the ground due to Dopey and Sneezy dropping them on their way to place them by Snow White's coffin _. If he could just find and follow the trail…_

Suddenly without warning an arrow zoomed past his nose and embedded itself into a tree making Grumpy jump and quickly pull out his pick ax.

" **Whoa! Sorry about that! I thought you were some kind of woodland creature!"**

" **Who's there? Come out** _ **NOW!"**_

A huntsman walked into the clearing carrying a bow. Grumpy pulled the arrow out of the tree and shook it at him.

" **Who do ya' think ya' are? Ya' can't just go shooting at whatever ya' happen to find!" Why don't ya' go to a restaurant like a normal person?"**

" **I said I was sorry! How was I supposed to know I'd find a dwarf in the woods?"**

" **I ain't no dwarf! I'm a gnome! Just because someone works in a mine don't mean they're a dwarf! Dwarfs are just another name for little humans and they don't look like me!"**

" **They don't dress much like you either now that I've gotten a better look at you."** said the huntsman with a laugh.

" **And just what is that supposed to mean eh? Ya' saying I'm ugly?"**

" **No!"**

" **I'm warnin' ya' boy, I'm faster than I look and I've been working in the mines me whole life! Just cause' I'm old don't mean I won't mess ya' up good!"**

" **I'm sorry!"**

" **Ya' should be."** said Grumpy sliding the pick ax back into his belt.

" **Wait, did you say the mine? I thought it was dry."**

" **It's gettin' there."**

" **What are you going to do when it DOES dry up?"**

" **I'M gonna go live with the princess. She owes me and my brothers for not buryin' her alive."**

" **What? Wait, the princess? They've found her?"**

Grumpy stopped in his tracks.

" **What do ya' mean found? She go missing?"**

" **Yeah. The last person who saw her said she was being carried by a man on a white horse. I wonder who he was…"**

" **Ain't nobody seen her?!"**

" **No one's seen her since. They headed towards the Queen's castle, but that's all I know."**

" **What's the Prince doing going to HER castle? I thought they were headed off to his. Ya' know the white one?"**

" **The white castle belongs to the queen, or it did anyway. How do you not know that?"**

" **I don't get out much and when I do I don't talk to people."**

" **Why not?"**

" **Cause' I don't wanna catch their stupid! Besides the world's a dangerous place! Witches, ghosts, they're everywhere! Mark my words; ya' keep wandering out and about in the woods yer' bound to run into at least one of em'!"**

" **You're not well are you?"**

" **Heh!"**

Grumpy stomped passed the huntsman and continued on, searching the ground for petals.

" **Where are you going?"**

" **That ain't none of yer business."**

" **If you're going to the Queen's castle, er Snow White's castle, I can lead you there."**

" **Or ya' could just give me directions and then leave me be. I'm capable of handling myself just fine, and I don't make a habit of makin' mistakes…at least not the kind that could get someone killed!"**

" **I told you that was an accident!"**

" **That's usually what a mistake is."**

The huntsman stormed away from Grumpy and headed out of the clearing and into the woods.

" **You can follow me to the castle if you want, but you're getting no more help from me until you learn how to talk without making me want to punch you."**

" **Huh! Ya' think I'm scared of some punk who can't even use his bow properly?"**

" **I'm about to show you how well I CAN use it."**

" **No, you ain't. Yer' gonna lead me to the castle and yer' gonna be quiet the whole way there until I speak to ya'."**

" **Who do you think you are?"**

" **My name ain't important and neither is yers. Let's get moving before it gets dark."**

" **Why would I go anywhere with you now? Besides, shouldn't you be tending to your garden?"**

" **Because the castle is where ya' were headed off to anyway, and you ain't funny."**

The huntsman jumped and turned to look at the old gnome.

" **Ya' look surprised. It ain't hard to figure out yer' running out of money as well. Yer clothes, hands, fingers, and supplies give it away."**

" **What do they have to do with anything?"**

" **The callouses on yer hands and fingers tell me ya' use a bow a lot, most likely you've been using one yer whole life. Yer bow and clothes are also cheap and falling apart. Ya' don't have a good paying job to get new ones so that probably means yer' a hunter by trade, am I right so far?"**

" **Did it ever occur to you that maybe I keep them for sentimental value?"**

" **Yeah it did until I saw that lantern on yer belt. That's a Solar Carriage lantern. It collects sunlight so ya' don't have to buy fuel for it. They sell them for cheap at Garden and Yard Décor and they ain't made for exploring the woods, which is why the light don't go too far. Ya' don't have enough money for a proper one do ya'?"**

The huntsman shifted his feet embarrassed again, and kept his eyes downcast. _The gnome was right about him being broke. People didn't pay for fur and meat like they used to. People wanted processed meat and preferred silk rather than fur. To make matters worse laws against poachers started to appear making it difficult for him to even obtain his wares let alone sell them. As time and technology grew on, the world just seemed to leave people like him behind._

" **My business may not be going as well as it used to, but that doesn't mean I'm a thief!"**

" **Then why are ya' on yer way to a deserted castle?"**

" **I told you the Prince or whatever you called him, and Snow White was headed that way! Snow White's the new queen and I thought she might be able to help me with my financial problems, that's all! Why don't you go dance around some mushrooms or something, and leave me alone?"**

" **Just because they headed that way don't mean they're there, and watch yer mouth."**

The huntsman didn't answer him, he just kept walking. Grumpy followed him deep in thought. He didn't even realize how dark it had gotten until the huntsman's lantern automatically lit up on its own. The huntsman didn't seem to care about how late it was, and it put Grumpy on edge.

 _Exactly how many times has he been to the castle? Must have taken quite a few trips in order to be able to travel so confidently in the dead of night._

" **Tell me boy, did ya' know the Queen?"**

" **No."**

" **I see."**

The two traveled until light began to show through the trees and the huntsman then suddenly stopped.

" **Let's rest here for a while. You must be tired. Probably spent all night dancing and drinking huh?"**

Grumpy was about to protest, but then thought better of it. He sat down and leaned his back against a tree, his arms crossed and frowning all the while at the huntsman.

 _One more racist remark and Imma bury him…_

" **I'm going to go get some firewood."**

" **Of course ya' are."**

 _Because everyone knows a fire is a crucial thing to have during the day._ thought Grumpy.

Minutes turned to hours as he contemplated his situation and all the information he had obtained during his chat with the huntsman. _The huntsman had lied to him. That much was certain._ _It's a well-known fact that the Queen had no servants or guards in the castle due to all the rumors flying about her…and the executions. Word of her cruelty had reached so far even HE had more information on her than he wanted to know. There's no way the huntsman would go near the castle unless he had some business there, and there's no way he could find his way there in the dark with that yard decoration unless he memorized the path. He knew the Queen. He knew the Queen VERY well, and Grumpy wasn't so sure if the huntsman was telling the truth about mistaking him for a woodland creature either._

" **Hello Grumpy!"**

Grumpy jumped and was instantly jolted out of his thoughts. Happy was smiling down at him from behind the tree.

 _What is HE doing here?!_

" **Go away!"**

" **Now is that any way to treat your worried brother? We're all worried about you in fact. Even Doc feels guilty about the argument last night."**

" **Then why isn't HE here?"**

Happy's eyes darted left and his smile disappeared instantly.

" **That's what I thought."**

" **You know how stubborn Doc is. He's too proud to admit when he's wrong and so are you."**

" **What happened yesterday was no fault of mine."**

" **I agree. Doc has been miserable since the fire. He feels guilty about it and guilty about blaming Dopey too, it's only natural that he'd want to lash out at someone."**

" **And I'm supposed to be okay with that?"**

" **No, but it'd be nice if you could see things from his point of view."**

" **I do. He knows he's an idiot and covers it up with a name that sounds smart and a superiority complex, so no one treats em' like Eugene."**

" **Eugene?"**

" **Dopey? That's his real name remember? We replaced all our names with simple ones when we were youngins' so he'd remember em'."**

" **Oh that's right! I'd completely forgotten!"**

" **I know."**

A crunching noise interrupted their conversation and Grumpy immediately pushed Happy into the nearest bush.

" **Stay quiet and don't move!"**

" **Why? What's going on?"**

" **Just do it!"**

The huntsman appeared holding his bow in his hand.

" **You aren't asleep yet?"**

" **Not yet, it takes a while."**

" **Well how long is it going to take?"**

" **It usually happens at night."**

Happy snickered from behind the bush and covered his mouth with both hands. The huntsman, while frowning at Grumpy, heard the noise however and his eyes flashed angrily.

" **Quiet Happy!"**

" **What was that?"** asked the huntsman.

" **I said ya' don't look happy. Is it because ya' forgot the fire wood?"**

" **No I mean the noise-"**

" **Yer' gonna need two hands by the way."**

The huntsmen grit his teeth and walked back into the woods. Grumpy noticed his tight grip on the bow and did his best to keep from smiling.

" **Alright ya' fool it's time ya' went back."**

Happy didn't hear him however due to his loud laughter. Grumpy waited patiently for Happy to calm down and in that time, tried to find the right words to get him to leave.

" **Sorry Grumpy…"**

" **I don't care. I need ya' to give a message to the others."**

" **A message?"**

The huntsman sat down on a stump by a river and splashed water over his face in an attempt to cool off.

" **I hate him."**

He dried his face off on a handkerchief he kept on his belt and wrung it in his hands impatiently. _Why was it taking that little jerk so long to fall asleep? They had been walking all night!_ The huntsman wondered how long it took for a gnome to get tired and how long it took for the Queen to get as impatient as he was. _If he didn't get rid of this guy soon…_

He put his handkerchief away and stared into the water. _How long had it been since he threw his dagger away? Twenty years? Thirty? Why didn't he just kill the princess? He had no trouble with all the other woman in the land that the Queen despised, so what made her_

 _so different? Was he really that shallow? Willing to give up his job and possibly his life for a pretty face?_

" **What on earth are you doing?!"**

The huntsman turned around and bowed his head towards the Queen. She'd appeared so many times like that, he no longer felt startled.

" **You're Highness."**

" **Answer my question. What are you doing?"**

" **I'm waiting for him to fall asleep my queen."**

" **Waiting? You have a bow and a clear shot. There should be no waiting."**

" **I wanted to make sure I didn't miss this time your Majesty."**

" **Yes…I saw that. Tell me Humbert, how long have you been killing for me?"**

" **All my life your Majesty."**

" **Exactly. Which leads me to question why you missed your mark, which is wearing a bright red tunic might I add, in broad daylight."**

" **I usually kill larger targets and he said he was fast and he has a weapon-"**

" **So you're a coward."**

" **No your Majesty!"**

The Queen chuckled playfully.

" **Relax my dear, loyal, subject. I'm only jesting. A cautious man is a wise man. Your past work has proven that a coward you are not. I can't think of many people brave enough to lie to me. You're not as worthless or stupid as you may think. Although I was first furious with you for daring to and succeeding in tricking me, I've realized now that I'm lucky to have such a brave and clever man under my rule."**

The huntsman let out a sigh of relief. The Queen had been known to have violent mood swings, but so far he had not triggered one.

" **The reason you missed is because you lack confidence. I am not here to scold you. I forgot to mention that dwarves do not have special powers, so there is no reason to fear them."**

" **I do not fear this creature."**

" **I know. Your last job still ails you."**

" **Snow White…"**

" **Yes."**

" **I apologize, your Majesty-"**

" **There's no need for another apology. The last one was just as unnecessary. I know what happens to men when they encounter a pretty face. It happens all the time and it can't be helped. I was actually surprised when you said you completed your task and handed me the heart that was supposed to be hers. It's funny really, I actually thought about killing you. After all if you're willing to murder the fairest woman in the land then killing the second fairest wouldn't be that hard would it?"**

" **You're Highness I would never-"**

The Queen put her hand up to silence him.

" **Forget about Snow White. Your target now is this dwarf. The fool who chased me in an attempt to murder me and who led his brothers to do the same."**

" **He's a gnome actually."**

" **What? The mirror told me he was a dwarf! It always speaks the truth!"**

" **Maybe it wasn't lying. Maybe it was just wrong."**

The Queen thought for a moment. _It was true that the crafter of the mirror didn't say the mirror was always right…just truthful. Maybe the mirror THOUGHT that was the truth. But then was she the fairest in the land? Or just the fairest the mirror had ever seen?_

This bothered the Queen a lot and she suddenly fell into a deep silence.

" **My Queen?"**

Looking up at the huntsman she suddenly felt thirty again.

" **Tell me Humbert, do you think I'm beautiful?"**

" **Of course I do your Majesty. I tell you every day."**

" _ **AND YOU'LL TELL ME AS MANY TIMES AS I ORDER YOU TO!"**_

Humbert jumped at the sudden outburst.

" **Please forgive me your Highness! I didn't mean-"**

" **It doesn't matter."** said the Queen suddenly snapping out of her rage.

" **As I've said, your target is this gnome."**

" **I really hate him."**

" **I know."**

" **He's looking for Snow White."**

" **Really? After twenty years you'd think everyone would have given up by now, but that's neither here nor there. Beware those gnomes Humbert. Those who choose to live in solitude and silence are often those who know more than they should."**

" **Those gnomes? I thought I had only one target?"**

" **You do. You're going after all seven of these pests later, but the most dangerous of the brothers will be destroyed last."**

" **I can't think of anyone worse than this guy."**

" **Grumpy is the least of your problems if the youngest brother catches wind of our plan. Beware the one named Dopey. He is NOT what he seems."**

" **The retarded one I saw dancing around the fire with his tongue hanging out?"**

" **He is NOT retarded. I fear he's the most intelligent of them all. Kill the others first. There is no need for a mask when you are alone."**

" **Wait! You're Majesty!"**

Before Humbert could ask any further questions, the Queen vanished in a puff of smoke leaving the huntsman alone, her warning still hanging in the air.

Grumpy struggled to keep his eyes open knowing full well that failing to do so would mean death. He did his best to focus on the area straight ahead of him and even took to standing up in order to keep awake, after a while however, he decided that staying put and waiting for the huntsman to reappear and give him more information was just too dangerous. _He's either talking to someone or waiting for me to fall asleep._

" **Coward."** muttered Grumpy.

" **What was that?"**

Grumpy jolted and turned around to see the huntsman. _When did he get behind me?!_

The huntsman looked pleased to see he startled the old gnome.

" **Humph! Didn't think you'd hear me call ya'."**

The huntsman didn't look angry to Grumpy's relief, just confused. Apparently he didn't hear him.

" **Hey, sorry about yesterday. We got off on the wrong foot didn't we? My name's Humbert. Are you ready to go?"**

" **In a different way."**

It took a while for Humbert to get it, but watching Grumpy go the opposite way of the castle made him quickly understand what he meant. Humbert had intended to sit down a bit and wait for the old gnome, but it didn't take him long to fall asleep for he was just as tired as Grumpy.

 _He'll wake me up when he's done._

Meanwhile Grumpy was struggling to climb up a tree and find a good place to rest. _Picking a tree with enough branches to hide him was easy, but climbing one…_

" **Stupid human. Got me climbing like a chimp** _ **. I'm too old for this!"**_

Finally he made it up the tree and quickly fell asleep.

Happy rushed into the mine as quickly as he could with a worried look on his face, tripping over a diamond the size of a bowling ball in the process.

" **You guys, Grumpy and Snow White's in trouble!"**

The brothers all stopped working instantly, frozen in place like statues.

" **S-Snow White? We haven't heard from her in years!"**

The brothers crowded around Happy and waited for him to catch his breath. _THIS was big news. It had been years since any of them had even heard her name from someone other than family…_

" **Grumpy was headed toward the Queen's castle-"**

" **The (yawn) what?"**

" **Sneezy would you please wake him up?"**

Sneezy turned to Sleepy and sneezed loudly, blowing Sleepy across the mine and into a cart which was luckily not filled with sharp gems.

Happy looked at him wide-eyed.

" **I said wake him up, not blow him half-way to Afghanistan!"**

Sneezy wiped his nose off on his sleeve.

" **Sorry."**

Happy and the others pulled Sleepy out of the mine cart and onto his feet. His eyes were still droopy, but he looked slightly more awake than before.

" **Are you alright?"**

Sleepy motioned him with his hand to continue.

" **Grumpy was headed towards the Queen's castle-"**

" **W-Why? Doesn't the Prince have his own castle?"**

Happy took a deep breath signifying Doc to be quiet.

" **Grumpy doesn't think he was a prince. He said people have been saying that Snow White's been missing since the Prince took her away."**

" **Well maybe the Prince's c-castle is in the same direction of the Queens castle."**

" **Or maybe Grumpy's right."**

" **Nonsense! We all saw how the Prince looked!"**

" **Now Doc, you should know you can't judge a book by its cover. Dopey may have a disability, but he's still a kind person, always ready to help any of us out no matter how hard the task, and Grumpy may have a short fuse, but he's smart. He has a talent for getting a lot of information from the short amount he's given. He doesn't talk much because his forte is listening and learning. He doesn't think he's too good to talk to us, he's just busy thinking about things."**

" **He doesn't have a short fuse; he's a grenade s-simple as that."**

Doc sat down with his back towards Happy and began to continue his work, checking gems for any flaws.

" **Doc?"**

Doc ignored him and continued working.

" **Please listen to me, these fights are never going to end if you two don't at least meet each other half-way!"**

Doc continued to ignore him, that is, until Dopey took the diamond he was working on and began spinning it like a top on the table. Smiling he teased Doc, holding it above his reach whenever he tried to grab for it. Needless to say, Doc was not amused.

" _ **Dopey!**_ **"**

" _ **DOC!**_ **"**

Everyone flinched _._ Dopey dropped the diamond he was holding and raced behind Bashful, as Happy stomped over towards Doc. _It was a rare occurrence indeed whenever Happy got angry and even rarer when he yelled. His face would always turn red and his teeth would always be bared like an animal. Even Grumpy had been known to stand down whenever Happy lost his temper. No one knew what would happen if he were to be pushed further, but Sleepy and Dopey had had nightmares that gave them ideas._

" **I'm** _ **sick**_ **of you and Grumpy always insulting one another and arguing!** _ **No one wants to hear it!**_ **Your yelling is driving me** _ **CRAZY**_ **and you're** _ **SCARING**_ **Dopey."**

" **You're scaring Dopey."**

" _ **NO ONE'S TALKING TO YOU SNEEZY!"**_

It was night by the time Grumpy awoke. He walked back to Humbert only to find him asleep.

 _Good. The castles in plain sight, I can get there alone._

Grumpy began collecting petals that were scattered on the ground where Snow Whites glass coffin still lay. _Snow White's "death" still bothered him. She had lain in that coffin for months without food or water, but she looked completely fine after the "Prince" kissed her. She was obviously under a spell that witch cast…assuming she was a witch. Thinking back Grumpy really wasn't sure if that old woman was the Queen, or if she was responsible for Snow White's "death". He just assumed she was because she was the last one out of their house and the Queen was reported missing soon after the incident. Was the Queen really dead? Was the "Prince a bit weird, or did he know her? Did he KNOW how to break the spell? Could all of that of been staged by the Queen in order to help the "Prince" win Snow White's heart? A fake murder attempt on Snow White and a spell that faked death…it was entirely possible._

Grumpy pressed his fingers into his eyes. All these questions were stressful, their lack of answers was stressful, and the fact that he may have been responsible for the death of a kindly old lady was stressful. He needed some aspirin. _But first he needed to get his head_

 _out of the clouds and remember to drop the petals every so often so his brothers could find him. It didn't matter if he could see the castle; he still had to go through another forest to get there. It wouldn't be too difficult to lose your way if you were an idiot and didn't think to go straight._

" **They couldn't find their way out of a paper bag if they had a compass and a map…"** said Grumpy, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

Doc and his brothers traveled down the path they knew led to Snow White's coffin. They had never gone to the castle, but they could see it clearly from the hill top, that much they did know. Many of them wondered what had become of Grumpy. _Happy had said he was traveling with a huntsman who just so happened to be skilled with a bow._ _He also said the huntsman was a liar and had possibly tried to kill their brother. Everyone knew Grumpy's temper and all of them were more than a little worried about him. Grumpy was strong, but he was old too. A pick ax wouldn't be of much use against a bow anyway, especially if he wasn't paying attention. Many of the brothers whispered amongst themselves about Grumpy's possible terrible fate, as if speaking too loudly would cause it._

" **Alright men, it's g-going to take at least a day to reach the hill top, so I suggest we camp and sleep while it's noon s-so we take, er, wake up early in the morning."**

" **Sounds like a plan Doc!"** said Happy with his trademark smile.

" **Y-Yes…"** said Doc uneasily.

After camp got set up the gnomes sat around the fire quietly. Usually they told ghost stories around this time, but they weren't necessary that night, in fact all of them were wide awake. Even Sleepy caught the insomnia everyone else seemed to have.

" **Did anyone think of a way to sleep yet?"** asked Sneezy.

" **If we had you'd of been told by now."** said Sleepy.

" **Relax. We'll get Grumpy back s-soon."**

" **Yeah, no need to take his (plahh ahhh achoo!) place."**

" **Funny."**

" **If you're going to frown like him y-you'll want to cross your arms."**

" **Funnier."**

" **Y-you're not doing it."**

" **The only thing I want to do with my arms is choke you."**

" **Ooooohhhhh somebody's cranky!"**

" **Be quiet Happy."**

The brothers were silent for a minute, worried about the time. _If the sun came up and they weren't asleep…_

" **Um…"**

Bashful wrung his hands and stared at the ground while his brothers stared at him, patently waiting for him to continue his sentence. _He had always had trouble speaking his mind given that he was a sensitive sort and Grumpy didn't really care much for stupid questions or suggestions. Bashful rarely spoke because of this. If there was any bright side to his silence however, it would be his new found habit of thinking before speaking. His brothers always paid attention whenever he was about to speak because of this habit, and he was thankful for that, but he did wish he had time to let his opinion be known before his brothers blurted out a decision._

" **What is it Bashful? Do you have an idea?"** asked Happy.

" **Well, I uh um, never mind forget it, it's stupid."**

" **Nonsense! We all want to hear it. D-don't we?"**

The others nodded in response.

" **We could knock each other out…"**

The others looked at each other for a moment.

" **You're right. That was stupid."**

" **Sleepy!"**

" **No, no. He's right. My idea was stupid. I told you it was."**

" **It's also the only idea we have."**

" **I'd (rahh ahh achoo!) rather put it to a vote."**

" **W-We can't vote, there's six of us."**

" **No there's not."**

" **Oh really Sleepy? Last time I checked we had seven brothers in total and only Grumpy is missing."**

" **And last time I checked, Dopey was too."**

" **Wait, what?"**

Humbert awoke to the sound of rustling bushes, and looked around for Grumpy.

 _He didn't friggen' wake me up!_

His attention drawn to the bushes, Humbert quickly drew his bow…or tried to anyway, only to find that it was missing. Cursing the gnome internally, he decided not to spend time searching the area for him, going through every bush that shook with the wind. He knew he had gone to the castle alone. He quickly got up and headed towards the direction of the castle as well.

While walking he thought he heard music from behind him, and found himself looking over his shoulders several times. Whenever his head turned the music would stop and the sounds of the various insects in the woods would fill the air once more _._ Grumpy's past words about ghosts and witches suddenly echoed in his mind and without realizing it, Humbert increased his pace. _The music reminded him of an old cardboard guitar he once made in school long ago. It had rubber bands for string and it made a noise almost identical to the one he was hearing now. It unnerved him. Without his bow or any other weapon, he felt vulnerable, and hearing disembodied music at night made it so much worse._

Humbert knew he had to calm himself down before he got to the hill's slope. No matter how many times he'd gone to the castle, his life always depended on navigating that part of the path carefully. It would be morning by the time he arrived, and he knew this was the only chance he had of catching up with Grumpy, but if he broke his neck time wouldn't matter. He knew the way to the castle by heart and so he could move much faster than the old gnome at night anyway. No need to rush. The way down the hill was very steep and would surely slow him down unless he found the path Humbert had made long ago. It was no wonder why the "Prince" needed a horse. One false step would send Grumpy spiraling.

Humbert found the path easily and headed down step by step, hoping to find the broken body of Grumpy at the bottom. A little up ahead he saw a log in his path and smiled _. Despite the fact that Grumpy had obviously found his path, Humbert found it amusing that he would place a log in plain sight in hopes of tripping him up. When he found the gnome he'd have to mention this failure._

Unfortunately for Humbert, that would never happen. As he bent over to move the log out of his way, he was given a strong push and sent tumbling down the slope and head first into a tree.

After a while, music started playing again.

The castle was bigger than he imagined and although he was in awe, the fact that it would take more than a little while to find ANYONE made the novelty fade quickly. He knew the huntsman would be there soon and he had to AT LEAST find a good hiding spot before then. _Seeing as the building had been abandoned for years the place was utterly filthy. To make matters worse, the town and castle were old fashioned which meant melted candles and no electricity. Although it was morning, the windows were made of stained glass and so little light shown through, making the place seem creepy._

Grumpy took a minute to find a hiding place. He needed to think. _The best place to hide would most likely be the lowest floor; it was plausible to assume Humbert would be unaware of the floor's existence seeing as guests were usually sent to an audience chamber…whatever that was. Snow White had told him and his brothers where this floor was and basically the whole layout of the castle. Apparently the Queen's experiments and spells were concocted there._

" **Stupid woman, you'd think she'd of left after finding that there room."**

Grumpy found the door and went through, following the stairs downward until he realized how foolish it was and started back up to get some sort of light. It was unnecessary though, for as he began the climb he heard a banging sound and saw a light bouncing loudly down the steps. When it finally hit Grumpy's feet, he snatched up the almost blinding object in both hands, and ran down the steps as quickly as he could, stopping only when he realized it was a lantern he was carrying and that the lantern belonged to Humbert.

" _ **Dopey! Dopey where ARE you**_ **?"**

The other brothers watched Happy continue to shout out Dopey's name. It had been hours and they had given up long ago. They finally decided to continue on towards the castle while shouting his name, but he did not appear.

" **He's probably on his (wahh ahh achoo!) way to the castle."**

" _ **DOPEY!**_ **It'd be awful nice of you guys if you'd help me."**

" **We already (yawn) did that. You don't need anyone else yelling anyway, Dopey will probably hear ya'."**

" **Probably's not GOOD enough. We have no idea how far away he is!"**

" **Don't worry about it. Have you seen his ears? He could fly with em'."**

" **Nice."**

" **You need to g-go back to sleep Sleepy."**

" **Are you volunteering to carry me?"**

Doc ignored him and took off his glasses to clean them. _None of them would admit it, but it was actually nice to have Sleepy awake for once. His attitude made up for Grumpy's absence, and was very much needed if not always liked._

" **We're almost across the hill. Be careful now, the way down is very dangerous."**

" **Yeah it is. I almost lost my pudding, er, footing last time we were here."**

The brothers bowed their heads in silence remembering the sad days they spent by Snow White's coffin.

" **You know, it's not as bad here as I thought it'd be. I thought all the flowers would be driving my hay fever crazy."**

The brother's looked around at the ground and to their astonishment; there were almost no flowers to be seen on the hill, aside from a path that was obviously made by their dear brother. Angry, Doc crossed his arms.

 _He really thinks we're stupid…_

Taking a deep breath, Doc tried to focus on the bright side. No use wasting what little energy he had…

" **W-Well isn't that lucky! It's good you get to give your rest a nose, uh, nose to rest, um , nose a rest."**

" **Where's that coffin?"**

" **You're not sleeping Sleepy. None of us are until we find Grumpy. Now w-we're almost there. If we hurry we'll be there by nightfall."**

" **Uhhh, ummm, ahh…"**

" **Bashful? What's wrong?"** asked Happy.

Everyone carefully climbed down the hill and joined the seemingly petrified gnome as he stood staring at a tree with his mouth open.

" **What IS that? Doc, what IS that?"**

" **It looks like a person. Wait…he has arrows. T-This person is carrying arrows!"**

" **It must be the huntsman Grumpy was talking to me about! Golly! Do you think Grumpy did this?"**

" **Wh-Where's his head…?"**

Sleepy looked about him and smiled at his brother.

" **Relax Bashful, it's here, and there, and there…"**

After Grumpy finished with the stairs he laid the lantern on the ground sideways and hid amongst the shadows, pick axe drawn and ready to strike as soon as the huntsman tried to pick it up. But nobody came.

This surprised Grumpy. _For the lantern to of been falling down the stairs Humbert would have had to of dropped it right? No. No, that isn't right. He always had that lantern latched onto his belt as if it was a key chain and the metal loop was wielded around it. He remembered asking Humbert about it while they were walking. It was a strange sight to see a lantern melted around a belt and it just didn't seem like a good idea._

" _Why would you do that? Ain't ya' supposed to hold the lantern in front of ya' so you don't trip over anything?"_

 _The huntsman replied that he couldn't avoid losing it or having it stolen, and because he never had to refill it and it lit up on its own in the dark he never had to take it off. Apparently he decided to ignore the second question entirely._

Grumpy terrified, took a step out from his hiding place, pick axe held tightly in both hands until his knuckles were white. Although he had been hiding for well over ten minutes, it still didn't feel like he was alone. _How did that lantern come off his belt?!_

Shaking, Grumpy struggled to control his fear. He tried to focus on the positive aspects of his current situation like Happy had told him to long ago.

" **Never thought I'd be taking HIS advice."**

Grumpy knew for sure that the lantern had been ripped from Humbert's clothes. He knew it had tumbled down the stairs and no one had come to get it. He knew it was possible that Humbert could've ripped his clothes while heading toward the castle and had to of had to

carry his lantern, and it was possible that he could just fallen and could now just be lying unconscious on the stairs, _but then why didn't he hear a thump?_

He took the lantern and was about to check the stairs, but it slipped from his grasp. He took his shirt and prepared to wipe his hands off, but he stopped when he noticed his hands weren't covered in sweat. They were covered in blood…and so was the lantern.

" **Jiminy Crickets…"**

" **You don't really think G-Grumpy could have done that do ya' Happy?"**

" **Gosh! I don't know Bashful! Grumpy did say he thought his life was in danger. Maybe he had to do it."**

" **He doesn't have a bow."**

Happy looked around the place, as did everyone else, but there was not a bow to be found.

" **Well maybe he just needed to let off a little steam."** said Sleepy.

" **Stop it! Grumpy would n-never lose his temper like that! Right?"**

Doc's eyes darted back and forth from brother to brother; a worried look was plastered on ALL their faces. _If anyone where to pick a fight, it'd be Grumpy. The same applied to ending a fight. Grumpy was vicious when enraged, and he had broken Doc's nose on numerous occasions. If he was willing to do that to his brother what was he willing to do to someone who he thought was a threat? Or someone he hated?_

" **I don't know Doc, (yawn) you two have been fighting a lot these past few days, and it's clear he hates his job. All that stress plus the temper we know he has…"**

" **He didn't! He wouldn't! It was probably self-defense."**

" **Self-defense? Against an archer? An archer without a bow?"**

" **There has to be some other explanation! Maybe he tripped! A deer could of kicked him off, or a strong gust of wind…"**

" **He's a huntsman, he's not going to trip down such a dangerous area. I wouldn't (yawn) be surprised if he was the one who made the path down. As for the wind, we were traveling in the same direction. We would have felt it first and we didn't. There was no wind, and I seriously doubt a deer would be any good with a bow-"**

Doc marched toward Sleepy and began poking him in the chest.

" _ **You be quiet! He could've had his bow missing beforehand! Y-You're being ridiculous!"**_

Happy struggled to move Doc back a little.

" **Listen, both of you! We don't** _ **know**_ **what happened here. No matter how many scenarios we come up with, the fact that we will never know the truth for sure will still remain. It's best if we just move on."**

" _ **Never know what happened? You think he's guilty too d-don't you?!"**_

" **Now Doc, I didn't say he was or wasn't guilty. I just-"**

" _ **Then why did you say that? You think he won't tell us the truth?"**_

" **The truth doesn't matter."**

" **Doesn't matter** _ **? We're talking about MURDER here Happy! Witches and m-monsters and ghosts are all well and good, but this is a human BEING!"**_

" **None of us are going to tell on Grumpy…if he's guilty that is. So it doesn't matter. What DOES matter is that we get to the castle before it gets too dark to travel."**

" **Unbelievable. You don't mind having a potential murderer living with us?"**

" **Most of us he doesn't argue with."**

Doc gave Sleepy a hard stare and whipped his hands off on his shirt. He then turned without another word and walked on.

" **Gee Sleepy, you didn't have to say that…"**

" **If Grumpy is responsible for smashing that guy's head to potatoes, Doc should be aware that pushing Grumpy any further is a bad idea. Doc** _ **knows**_ **Grumpy hates em'. That's why he's so against the idea that he's guilty."**

" **That's just not true! Doc is just worried about him."**

" **Why? The huntsman's gone now."**

" **No, I mean he's worried about his reputation. The penalty for killing a human is death or life in prison, you know that. The police aren't going to believe anything a guy like Grumpy has to say. Doc wouldn't have gotten angry if he didn't care. You see?"**

" **Oh. I guess I got the wrong impression whenever they fought."**

" **Yeah, I guess you did."**

Checking the stairs confirmed what Grumpy thought. There was no one there. Just splatters of blood on the stairs where the lantern had bounced. He was now almost positive that Humbert was no more _. Whoever…or whatever had murdered him must have wanted to just throw the evidence away somewhere. It was probably a person. A monster or ghost wouldn't care, and this place was said to be cursed which kept most people away…except maybe the bad ones. The castle would be an ideal place for hiding things, especially here on the lowest floor._

 _Wait…_

Grumpy looked up at the ceiling. _How did they know about this area? Only Snow White, his brothers and the Queen knew about the place, at least that's what he thought. Well whoever was responsible hadn't dropped the lantern on accident or they'd of collected it by now._

Putting his weapon away and going through the wooden door and into the next room, he quickly sat down in front of the nearest table and blew the dust off an already opened book.

 _Sneezy would hate this place_ thought Grumpy with a grin.

The book was a book of spells, which didn't really surprise him. The whole place screamed witchcraft. Various liquids he didn't recognize lay motionless in beakers and flasks, and a caldron lay by a fireplace _. Apparently the Queen was a bit of a chemist AND alchemist. He couldn't help but wonder what was in those bottles and had every intention of finding out, but first he needed to find a spell that could locate others. He knew she had to have at least one. He and his brothers lived seven mines and seven waterfalls away in the woods! No one knew where their house was…or log cabin anyway. Sometimes he wished he could keep just one gem from the mines instead of just selling them to shops. One gem could have gotten them a house made out of something less flammable…_

He didn't even have to flip a page before something caught his eye. It was a disguise spell. The instructions were simple to follow, but gathering the ingredients had to be bothersome.

 _Where did she get mummy dust?_

Grumpy scanned down until he read something that made his blood run cold.

" **To drink this brew means to start anew, this form you choose eternal. A life for a life. To regain true form yer soul must be external."**

After speaking the words Grumpy turned around quickly, pick axe drawn again, expecting the Queen to be standing behind him, but there was no one there.

" **Huh! Of course no one's there. This place has been abandoned for twenty years."**

Putting the book aside he went over to the open book by the caldron, and began to read. This book held the "fake death" spell, or the "Sleeping Death" as stated in the book. Grumpy noted that it took a "Love's first kiss" to break the spell, but it didn't say the love had to be mutual. _Snow White may have loved HIM but…_

Yawning, Grumpy went back over to the table and put his head down. It had been a long day, and a long trip. He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast the day he set out for the castle, and all his energy felt drained _. He was lucky he had been able to avoid a physical confrontation with the huntsman Humbert, but it bothered him that the Queen was possibly still alive and the fact that Snow White was possibly in danger worried him even more._ He had so many questions running through his mind, but they would have to be pondered later. Right now he needed a nap.

" **So you think Grumpy's any different?"**

" **Now that he's let (achoo!) all his anger out? Maybe."**

" _ **He didn't kill ANYBODY!"**_

" **He's not (yawn) going to be hanging all over us is he? Giving us hugs and other nonsense?"**

" _ **Be QUIET!"**_

" **I can't… really…see him doing that. I hope not."**

" _ **BASHFUL!"**_

" **Actually, I've changed my mind. I could really use one now."**

" _ **Hey Doc, Bashful wants a hug!"**_

" **Noooo!"**

The men laughed as Bashful ran away to the back of the line. Doc cringed at their laughter.

" **I'm going to drown you. I'm going to drown you like a sack of d-dumb puppies."**

This made them laugh even harder, and even Doc had to turn back around in order to hide his smile. _Although he hated to admit it, he was glad his brothers were back in high spirits despite the questions they all had going through their minds. He couldn't remember the last time he had heard them laugh like this._

" **You all don't seem to be taking this very seriously. If Grumpy DID kill em' I could be next..."**

" **Oh that's right, he hates you doesn't he?"**

" **Better watch your back Doc!"**

The brothers laughed until they reached the castle and went inside.

" **Ahhh…ummm.."**

" **It's alright Bashful it's just a (ahh achoo!) dusty old castle. Very dusty. It's like walking in snow."**

" **Do you want to outside wait, er wait outside?"**

" **I'll be fine Doc…maybe I'll end up blowing away all this dust and we can live here."**

Everyone spread out and began exploring the first floor.

 _This WOULD be a great place for us to live_ thought Doc.

" **Golly! It looks like no one's lived here for years!"**

" **Twenty years to be exact. The Queen died twenty years ago and I guess no one was brave enough to move in, or e-even walk in. The furniture is still here and everything!"**

" **If no one's explored this place than whose foot prints are these?"**

" **P-Probably Grumpy's."**

" **Umm, there are foot prints over here too, different pairs, leading up the staircase."**

" **I found Dopey's snow (yawn) angel."**

Doc turned towards Sleepy confused until he saw a body print of Dopey on the dust covered floor. Apparently he had tripped.

" **Purdy, ain't it?"**

Doc was about to say something when he was suddenly interrupted by music. The brothers immediately huddled together quick as a flash. _Due to Grumpy's incessant scaring and storytelling when they were children ALL of the brothers were superstitious and terrified of ghosts, monsters, and basically anything Grumpy warned them about. Unless of course it was TOO ridiculous, like Grumpy warning them about Snow White and how she and all other woman were "poison." Scaring them was Grumpy's favorite hobby and even though he was as old as he was, he still found it hilarious._

" **Wh-What is that? Doc?"**

" **Calm down, I know that song."**

" **Isn't that the Silly Song?"**

" **Why y-yes, yes it is."**

" **He probably followed the petals to the castle before us."** yawned Sleepy.

" **Who?"** asked Happy.

" **Dopey."**

" **But where'd he get the bass or whatever that is? I thought everything burnt away in the fire…"**

" **Maybe the Queen was a m-music lover?"**

Suddenly the music stopped and Dopey came sliding down the staircase railing, where he quickly flew off and crashed through a wooden bookcase, which made it turn to the right revealing a passageway with stairs leading downward.

Doc rushed as quickly as possible towards the passage and looked down to see if he could spot Dopey lying on the stairs, but sadly the stairs didn't have railings at the beginning.

" **Oh dear, he must of fallen about fifty feet down!"**

" **I'm more worried about the "instrument" he was playing."**

" **What?"**

" **The instrument-"**

" **No, I know what you said-"**

Sneezy ignored Doc and picked up the object they saw Dopey play on the banister and drop after the crash.

" _ **There's**_ **his bow!"**

Sneezy picked up what everyone assumed was the huntsman's bow and passed it around. It wasn't covered in blood, but it looked to be in bad shape nevertheless.

" **Are you convinced yet Doc?"**

" **No! That bow could belong to anyone! It's clean too! Stop jumping to conclusions and help me find Dopey!"**

Doc headed down the stairs carefully while his brothers stood in a circle gapping at the bow. His good mood had completely vanished and so had his patients.

" **D-Do you think he may of uh…cleaned it and given it to Dopey?"** asked Bashful.

" **Grumpy doesn't do anything nice for (achoo!) anyone. He probably took it while he was sleeping and THEN attacked the human."**

" _ **It could be ANYONE'S!"**_

" **Doc's right you know. The bow could belong to anyone Sneezy. Let's try to give our brother the benefit of the doubt."**

" **Thank you Happy. Grumpy's a good person, kind of, and we should all be thankful he's alive, not accusing him of murder!"**

" **If (yawn) you want to get on Grumpy's good side you'll have to head further down. He can't hear you from up here."**

Doc stomped back up the stairs, took off his glasses, and then rolled up his sleeves.

" **That's it, I've had enough. You've had this coming."**

A loud crash echoed throughout the room and Grumpy instantly awoke and raised his lantern only to find Dopey spiraled out on the ground. Broken pieces of wood surrounded him, but Grumpy was too far away to tell what they were once a part of. Apparently Dopey had fallen on something and broke it.

Dopey's leg twitched and slowly he sat up. As his vision cleared he quickly saw Grumpy and smiled happily at him, waving hello with his sleeve. Grumpy turned back around and laid his head in his hands, while his brother stumbled around dizzily in an attempt to regain his balance.

" **Fool."**

Dopey grinned and ran up to his brother, wrapping him in a big hug.

" **What're you doing down here? This here place is dangerous. Go back to the others."**

Dopey grabbed at him and attempted to pull him out of the chair. Clearly excited to show his brothers he had found him.

" **Come on now, let go! I ain't finished here yet!"**

Dopey shook his sleeve wildly in the direction of the stairs.

" **If they're up there and they wanna see me, remind em' of their legs."**

Dopey ran up the stairs and quickly fell to the ground again, due to not being able to see the lack of railings at the top.

Grumpy sighed and got up from his chair _. He wasn't really worried about the fall, but if he didn't light the way for Dopey he would continue the pattern till' Doomsday._ _Dopey had spent most of his life falling down stairs they never should have had. Grumpy remembered arguing with his parents about them. They never listened to him either. Not even his parents took his opinions into consideration…_

Taking the lantern, he started up the stairs, Dopey following close behind.

" **Quit pulling on my clothes!"** yelled Grumpy, irritated with him already.

Shouting echoed throughout the passage and grew louder as the two climbed higher. Dopey gave his brother a worried look and tried to move ahead of Grumpy, but he was pulled back. Reaching the top, the two saw Doc and Sleepy fighting on the ground. Due to Sleepy always being exhausted, Doc was winning. Dopey immediately joined his other brothers in an attempt to pry them off one another.

" **Ya' can't go one day without fightin' with someone can ya' Doc?"**

Everyone froze and looked towards Grumpy. Doc and Sleepy quickly got up and straightened out their clothes, while the others kept their eyes glued to the lantern in Grumpy's hand.

" **What? What are ya'll looking at?"**

Bashful pointed to the lantern, his body shaking in fear.

" **Oh this? This ain't mine."**

" **The lantern or the blood?"** asked Happy nervously.

" **Both."**

Everyone, including Doc huddled in a circle while Grumpy tried getting the blood off the lantern and his hands with his tunic.

" **Alright everyone I am now convinced. I apologize for my behavior."**

" **It's fine. What we need to worry about now is how to act around Grumpy."**

" **It's clear he's (yawn) gone special in the head."**

" **We should (probahh achoo!) probably be extra nice. No one make him angry. Just do what he says."**

" _ **Grumpy wouldn't h-harm us!"**_

The Sneezy nudged Doc in the side issuing him to be quieter.

" **What's going on there? What're ya'll saying about me?"**

Doc thought quickly.

" **It was awful nice of you to give Dopey the bow to play. You even washed it off for him yes?"**

Dopey took the bow from Sneezy and began playing. Grumpy instantly recognized it.

" **I didn't wash off no bow. That bow belongs to the huntsman…you didn't happen to find him did you?"**

" **Well he wasn't exactly well-hidden."**

The other brothers gave Sleepy a sharp glare making him wince.

" **Not well-hidden hm? That was sloppy."**

The gnomes shifted their feet, unsure whether or not to agree with him.

" **Well regardless of what happened to em', we got bigger problems. The Queen may still be alive."**

Dopey stopped playing.

" **Ummm…isn't that impossible? A boulder crushed her…after she fell off a cliff."** said Bashful to everyone's surprise.

" **You fool, she's a witch! She can do anything!"**

Bashful's face turned bright red and he covered his face in his hands. _He knew he should've stayed quiet…_

" **I found the spell she used to disguise herself. It said she could regain her true form if her soul was external."**

" **External?"**

" **Outside the body."**

" **As in d-dead?"**

" **Yep."**

Doc looked confused.

" **If she regained her true form right after frying, er, dying, why didn't she come back to the castle?"**

" **It also used the term "Start anew."**

" **So?"**

" **So, if yer life is just beginning how old are ya'?"**

Doc struggled to hold back his anger, and Happy decided to enter the conversation.

" **So she became a baby. Do you think the huntsman found and raised her these past twenty years?"**

" **Humbert, and yes most likely. Even though she's twenty she still can't come back to the castle. People have been aware of the Queen's death for years, and coming back from the dead and lookin' younger than before would prove she's a witch. Witches ain't feared nor welcomed in this here day and age so..."**

" **She'd be burned."**

" **Yep."**

" **So are we safe here?"**

Grumpy looked at the lantern and remembered it bouncing down the steps.

" **I don't think so. Someone was here earlier."**

" **I found different sets of footprints leading up the stairs…"** said Bashful.

" **Did you g-go up the stairs?"**

" **No. I headed straight for the witch's secret room."**

" **There are five pairs of prints, and we know one pair is Dopey's and this pair is Grumpy's…"**

" **We should probably see what's up stairs. Come on men!"**

The gnomes got in line and headed up the staircase, looking at the prints all the while. _Who could those other three footprints belong to?_

Reaching the top didn't take long, and neither did finding out what the people were there for. The room was definitely the Queen's, but it looked like someone had torn it apart…wallpaper was torn off as were the sheets on the Queen's bed. The mattress was flipped over, and the dressers were moved from the wall. Someone was definitely looking for something.

The most noticeable thing in the room was a blank spot on the wall. Two candles where positioned on each side of the blank area as if they were meant to light up the particular

area. Grumpy thought back to his days with Snow White in order to figure out just what was missing in the room.

 _What did she say the Queen's room looked like?_

After looking around for some time, Sleepy yawned and felt along the blank area, only to find that there was no passage. Then he remembered something.

" **Didn't Snow White say something about the Queen having a mirror?"**

Grumpy nodded, suddenly remembering as well.

" **Woman said it was magic and that it told only the truth when ya' asked a question."**

" **That must be what they were looking for."**

Grumpy gave the room one last glance and began to leave.

 _Mirrors don't just walk off on their own. Someone stole it._

" **Uh…Grumpy where are you going?"** asked Happy.

" **Nobody misplaces a mirror. It was stolen. Whoever tore this room apart probably wasn't bright enough to figure that out. I'm guessing it was Humbert."**

" **Humbert stole it?"**

" **No, Humbert meant to git it for the Queen and found it gone. He apparently searched everywhere for it."**

" **That wasn't very smart."**

" **Humbert wasn't very smart."**

" **Is that why he's dead?"**

" **What do ya' think?"**

" **He must have made you pretty angry huh? What did he say?"**

" **Never mind that. We need to find out where the mirror is."**

Grumpy sat down on one of the steps and began to think. _Those footprints were almost useless if he didn't recognize them, but at least he knew two other people were in the room. Did one steal the mirror and then leave, or were there two thieves working together? To steal a simple mirror from a deserted castle…it didn't seem likely that two people would be needed unless it was heavy…_

" **Maybe we should ask around about it."**

Grumpy jumped and shot a glare towards Doc making him take a step back. _No one had spoken much about the castle since the Queen's death, and even then the subject rarely came up. People were too busy celebrating and talking about the Queen to really care about the castle. The only rumors he heard later after it was apparent that Snow White had no intention of living there were about the place being cursed or haunted. Nothing about anyone visiting._

" **Grumpy?"**

" **I'll ask around at work."**

 _Talking to random people was the only option he had. Luckily he had a few days off due to the fact that he worked only a few days a week._

Everyone walked home disappointed. It had been a long trip and they were all extremely hungry. Grumpy especially. It would take a few days to get back home too. They would all end up starving and tired by the time they got back to camp. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd wake up on time for work, or if he'd even get a chance to sleep.

" **Why don't you take a sick d-day Grumpy? Let us ask around. You must be tired."**

" **I don't need yer help."**

" **You don't need any more stress put on you either."**

" **I'm fine."**

Doc was quiet for a bit _. It wasn't healthy for a gnome Grumpy's age to be traveling for days without food and/or decent sleep, but what could he do? Grumpy was much too stubborn, and he hated to accept help from anyone._

" **If you're too tired to think properly then you'll forget everything you're told. It will be quicker if WE ask around."**

Grumpy took a moment to think about this. _Although he hated to admit it, Doc was right. He was still embarrassed of the way he had behaved after Snow White awoke. It was true he hadn't been thinking clearly that day due to the stress. The fact that he could have prevented Snow White's disappearance entirely bothered him greatly. The memory of doing flips and waving his hat wildly like a loon still made him cringe._

" **All right. Ya'll ask around, but don't do anything foolish!"**

" **We won't. We're just asking around right?"**

" **Asking round' while the Queen is looking for us…or me anyway."**

" **Because of Humbert?"**

" **She sent him after me, there's no doubt!"**

" **And once she finds out he didn't kill you…"**

" **She may think I had something to do with his murder."**

" **Don't worry Grumpy no one's going to f-find out. We decided before we even met up with you that we'd keep it a secret."**

" **Eh? What on earth are ya' babbling about?"**

" **It's okay; we don't have to talk about it if you d-don't want to."**

Grumpy crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

" **Well I DO want to talk about it, cause' it seems to me like ya' think I had something to do with Humbert."**

" **Didn't you?"**

A look of pure shock appeared instantly on Grumpy's face and his mouth fell open.

" _ **NO! Is that what ya' all think?! Have been thinking this whole time?! I didn't kill nobody not nohow!"**_

The sudden shouting made the others jump, and each gave Doc a glare. Doc gestured for Grumpy to calm down.

" **Relax, no one has to know. There's no need to y-yell. It's not important, he WAS a threat correct?"**

" _ **I didn't kill em'!"**_

" **It's fine Grumpy, you can trust us."**

" _ **But ya' can't trust me?"**_

" **Nonsense! We know you won't harm us. Why are you yelling?"**

" _ **This is ridiculous! Someone tell em'!"**_

Everyone remained silent.

" **Anyone?"**

He looked at each brother, and watched them avert their eyes from his.

" **No one…? No one at all? Not one of ya' believe me?"**

Grumpy hung his head and held his arms as if he were chilly. Feeling sorry for him, Doc attempted to place a hand on his shoulder, but was punched and knocked to the ground. Grumpy then continued walking home, as did the others in silence. Even Doc got up without saying anything and walked on.

When they got back to their camp site, Grumpy went straight to bed without eating.

" **Great job Doc."** said Sleepy.

" **Leave me alone."**

Doc felt extremely guilty about the argument _. He completely forgot the possibility that maybe the Queen had something to do with Humbert's death, and now thanks to him, the boys were once again sitting around the fire worrying about Grumpy._

" **Do you think he'll be okay?"** asked Happy.

" **I (yawn) doubt it."**

" **Let's make sure we do a good job tomorrow for Grumpy. No mistakes w-whatsoever."**

The brothers agreed.

The next morning the six gnomes headed toward Garden and Yard Décor. It had been quite a while since they left the seclusion of the forest and mine and the boys loved the new environment. Dopey was going crazy touching every shiny car and drawing on dirty windows and Doc had to repeatedly drag him back in line for countless things.

The air surprisingly did well for Sneezy's nose and it was fun to try and jump from curb to curb without stepping out of place.

" **The ground sure is purdy'"** said Sneezy.

" _ **Dopey get out of the drainage ditch!"**_

" **(Yawn) Why am I here?"**

" **T-Try to stay focused men. Remember to ask every person you see about Snow White."**

The gnomes nodded and split up, except for Dopey and Doc. The two decided to head into the building before the others while they asked everyone in the parking lot.

The building held various yard decorations and it was almost impossible to keep Dopey from running off to see every one of them. Eventually Doc decided to just let Dopey roam. _He'll be fine. If he does get thrown out, the others will take care of him._

It didn't take long for Dopey to find something he wanted to show Doc. He pulled him this way and that, showing him solar animals, fairies, wind chimes, and yard gnomes. The yard gnomes are what caught Doc's interest the most. One of them reminded him of Sleepy and another had Happy's face. It was no wonder why humans were staring at him and Dopey. The resemblance was uncanny.

When his brother's came into the shop Doc cursed himself internally. He had been spending too much time looking at all the products; it seemed he was already making mistakes. To his annoyance the others were doing the same. Looking around them and forgetting the mission. Doc no longer wondered why Grumpy was often annoyed with everyone.

" **Excuse me little one, you're not allowed back there."**

Doc turned his head to see Dopey already getting into trouble. Apparently he was trying to enter a back room.

" **Dopey get back here!"**

Ignoring Doc, he raced into the room and the others followed in an attempt to catch him. Doc joined them too, hoping they wouldn't get thrown out if he attempted to correct the situation. _This is already turning into a disaster._

Running into the storage room, Dopey desperately tried to find a good hiding place or at least a place where his brothers couldn't reach him. He did not want to go home just yet.

He found a gigantic box in a dark corner and quickly jumped inside, only to fall through the bottom and land somewhere underground. The place seemed very familiar to Dopey, and it only took a few seconds for him to realize he was in a mine. His brothers called out his name, but Dopey was too mesmerized by the gems surrounding him to even hear. It had been a while since he saw so many in one place, but that wasn't why he was in awe. It was the way the gems were arranged. They weren't just embedded in the walls; they were laid out to form a rainbow path east and north. It wasn't difficult to figure out it wasn't natural.

Someone had meant to create a road. The gems weren't pointy; they were smooth for easy travel, and for some strange reason the gems were glowing and lighting up the area making any other kind of lighting worthless.

Dopey finally snapped out of it and his ears perked up to the sound of his name being called. He pulled out his tool from his belt and dug out a glowing ruby, which he then tossed out of the box. _He was definitely not going home now. Not until he knew why this place existed._

Grumpy tossed and turned in the tent, struggling to get to sleep. He couldn't get the memory of yesterday out of his head. What was worse was he could see things from Doc's point of view whether he wanted to or not. _Having thought things over he could see why his brothers would suspect him, but it didn't make his anger fade in the least._

Finally he gave up and went to get something to eat. It had been days since his last meal, and he was starving. He doubted he'd be able to control himself from eating everything they had.

 _Not that they'd say anything about it._

He sat on one of the logs surrounding the campfire area and with one arm crossed he began eating an apple while continuing to think _. If the others wouldn't believe him then why not use the situation to his advantage? The fact that they were trying to avoid annoying him was a good thing wasn't it? Why should he be upset? Maybe now life with his brothers would be more tolerable._

While eating a strong wind came out of nowhere and almost blew him off the log. He knew who it was before he even turned around.

" **How'd ya' find our camp?"**

" **When a woman spends most of her life in a forest she comes to know it."**

" **So I guess ya' didn't need yer mirror then eh?"**

The Queen's face turned from smug to angry in a matter of seconds.

" _ **What do you know of my mirror?!"**_

" **Are you the one who killed Humbert? My brothers blame me for that ya' know."**

" _ **Don't you DARE ignore me gnome!"**_

" **Why are you yellin' at me? Just answer my question, and this time I'll listen."**

" _ **You don't bargain with me! No one bargains with me! I am Queen Grimhilde and you will do as I say!"**_

" **Or what? Ya' don't scare me woman! I've been to yer castle AND yer witch room. Ya' can't do a thing without any of yer spell books and ingredients. Unless of course ya' remember the spells, but I highly doubt it. It's been twenty years."**

" _ **I have the spell of wind and it doesn't just get me from place to place! I'll take of you just as I took care of Humbert on the hill!"**_

" **Let me guess, ya' blew him off that ridiculously dangerous slope."**

" **No, I removed the air from his lungs, and I'll do the same to you if you don't tell me what I want to know."**

" **Heh! No ya' didn't, and no ya' won't."**

" **How do you know?"**

Grumpy held up the smudged lantern. His tunic didn't do a very good job of cleaning it.

" **What'd ya' really do?"**

" **I pushed him. I had to. He was insolent."**

" **What?"**

" **He was supposed to kill you right after our conversation, but he didn't. He didn't kill you. He didn't listen. He had to go. You can't let defiance from one of your servants slide. Your other servants will walk all over you. That is the burden of being queen."**

" **Ya' don't HAVE any servants."**

" _ **I have plenty of servants! People LOVE me! I'm the fairest in the land! Even fairer than Snow White now that I'm younger and she's in her thirties!"**_

" **That's…pretty racist. Just because yer skin is whiter than everyone else's-"**

" _ **No you fool! Fair as in beautiful! I'm the most beautiful in the land!"**_

" **Have ya' ever heard the saying beauty is in the eye of the beholder or beauty comes from within?"**

" **That's just something ugly people say."**

" **Is that right?"**

" **You and that crafty little monster are going to be dead and buried if it's the last thing I do in life! Unless of course you tell me where my mirror is."**

" **Crafty little monster? Ya' mean Dopey? Dopey and crafty don't belong in the same sentence."** laughed Grumpy.

" _ **You two don't fool me! I KNOW he's evil! Just look at that smile! You're both evil! Covering up for him and pushing people away so they don't ask questions…blaming everything on Doc when you know it's him!"**_

" **I know ya' done lost your mind. Dopey wouldn't harm a fly."**

" **What about a person? Don't you think it's a little strange that your home suddenly burned down? You've been living there for how long? Why did it happen now of all times?"**

" _ **Crazy woman! It was an accident caused by Doc's stupidity!"**_

The Queen looked at him in disbelief.

" **You really believe that don't you?"**

" **Yeah I do. Dopey's always been clumsy."**

" **And despite being so clumsy he's gone without burning anything for years hasn't he?"**

Grumpy didn't say anything, and finished his apple. Grabbing another one he stared into the burnt out campfire and began to try and see things from her point of view like Happy suggested. _It WAS a bit odd wasn't it? That after all these years Dopey would suddenly burn the house down. He was adopted and not as old as he and the others. Poor eyesight or muscle coordination had nothing to do with it. The only reason he would have wanted to burn down the house…_

" **Ya' think he wanted to live with Snow White?"**

" **That's exactly what I think. HE'S the crazy one. Not me."**

" **Well we don't know for sure so we can't say for sure."**

" **You only say that because you haven't been paying attention to him. I'VE watched him for years. Know thy enemy."**

" **Dopey loves everyone. He ain't no one's enemy. Except yers."**

" _ **He's evil!"**_

" **Yer' paranoid. Even if he did burn it, there ain't no harm in that. He just missed Snow White."**

" **No harm in it? You all could have been killed!"**

" **Dopey's mentally retarded. His ideas ain't usually too bright."**

" **You're just in denial. You're too perceptive not to have noticed! You just don't want to accept it and have to deal with the problem! You're just like Doc."**

Grumpy grit his teeth.

" **Watch yer mouth woman…"**

" **You're more alike than you care to admit. You two don't want to face reality. You're both stubborn. You both anger easily-"**

" _ **I said be quiet!"**_

" **And you're both loud."**

The glowing red light of the ruby caught the attention of the gnomes as they searched for Dopey. Sleepy was the first to find it, but Doc pulled him back before he could pick it up.

" **N-Now wait just a moment. I've heard of glowing rocks like these. It could be radioactive."**

" **We don't sell plutonium or uranium here."** said a salesclerk from behind them with a laugh.

The five brothers jumped and huddled together, their weapons drawn.

" **Well aren't we jumpy?"**

Doc took a moment to study the figure before him.

" **Hey! You're t-the Prince!"**

" **Call me Ferdinand."**

" **Where's Snow White?"**

" **Whoa! What's with the angry faces? Is that any way to treat Snow White's savior? She's down there."**

The gnomes peeked into the glowing box.

" **What's she (yawn) doing down there?"**

" **These gems are not radioactive. They seem to be filled with magical energies. I'm actually studying these gems undercover as a salesclerk here at Garden and Yard Décor. These gems are currently giving off an energy that slows down the aging process."**

" **Are you using Snow White as a test subject?!"**

" **Yes. I've yet to discover any side effects related to long-term exposer aside from falling into an inevitable coma-"**

" **Snow White could die or get sick!"**

" **You dwarves don't know anything about science do you?"**

" **We're domes, er, gnomes and you're just as Grumpy said!"**

" **I don't know what that guy said about me, but he's wrong. I'm trying to help all of mankind. You can't imagine the possibilities these gems provide-"**

" **We don't have to imagine! We're taking the princess and going home."**

" **I bet you'd act differently if it was YOUR kind I was helping…"**

" **Nonsense! We care about her safety!"**

" **No you don't or you'd leave her here. You are aware that the Queen is looking for her correct?"**

" **She's looking for us and Grumpy! She has no more interest in Snow White. She thinks she's been kidnapped, as does everyone else."**

" **You're wrong. The Queen's hatred runs deep. The only thing on her mind right now is revenge."**

" **Snow White hasn't done anything! How would you know what the Queen is thinking anyway?"**

Ferdinand smiled.

" **Because I have her mirror."**

The glowing lights of the gems although comforting and beautiful were now beginning to hurt Dopey's eyes. _He felt nauseous and he soon began to wish he hadn't hid in that particular box…or taken the east path…or left the campsite._

As he trudged on he began to feel worse and worse. He began to run as quickly as he could down the gemstone path hoping to find an exit as soon as possible, but it seemed to go on forever. He never reached the end of the tunnel. He collapsed on the path, through it, and down into the darkness of the mine.

" **Ehgh!"**

Grumpy grunted as he struggled to drag the Queen to the mine. _Although he had eaten a little it still wasn't enough for the job he was currently doing, Grumpy still had little strength left in him and it was difficult just to drag the Queen, let alone get her into the mine's elevator and lift her into the mine cart to push it down the tracks._

He had to stop several times to rest and force himself to get back on his feet each time.

" **Heavy harpy."**

Eventually he got her into the cart, and began to push it towards the part of the track that was meant to turn _. He had to do this quickly. Very quickly. He couldn't afford for her to wake up. If she woke up, he was dead. It was only by pure luck that he was able to knock her out in the first place. He put all his strength into his right arm when he threw that apple. The fact that he was able to get her into the mine's elevator and make it this far into the mine itself was a miracle._

After resting for a few seconds he looked over his shoulder at the reason the track had to turn _. The mines were a dangerous place to work. Not only could the celling collapse and bury them, the ground was also unstable. Falling through the ground, although they were only one floor above the entrance was dangerous due to the sharp gems below that were embedded in the floor. You had to be quick to avoid getting possibly skewered. One such hole, the very one he was looking at, had been made while he and Doc were fighting. Knocking one another to the ground caused it to give way and he and his brother were almost killed. Luckily because of their size they managed to fall between the sharp gem spikes…but the Queen would not be so lucky._

Grumpy wasn't sure if he could do it though. _If the Queen woke up he would not have the strength to fight or run. It wouldn't be hard for her to toss him into the hole or throw him against the spikey gem walls…She was a threat even if he hid and she left the mine. She could easily get someone who didn't recognize her to collect her spell books or even buy more from whoever sold her the previous ones. It would be better if she disappeared for good. For him, his brothers, AND Snow White. So what was his problem?_

He growled at himself for his weakness and climbed into the cart to hide. _It's Doc's fault. It wouldn't have been a problem if Doc had just kept his mouth shut._

Grumpy laid back with his hands folded on his stomach and his eyes closed. _This would be a perfect time to work on being a bit less stubborn. If getting rid of the Queen was a good idea then he should just go ahead. Who cares if Doc's proven right? He'd never know about it. He already had a story made up to make it look like an accident. The Queen found him, he ran into the mine hoping to escape her, she didn't see the hole and so she fell to her death. Easy to remember. Believable. Best for everyone._

He was so deep in thought he didn't even hear the thump as Dopey fell through the ceiling and onto the ground.

Eventually Grumpy snapped out of his meditative state and made a decision.

Everyone was wide-eyed and still as they watched Grumpy drag the Queen towards the hole. _Doc wanted to scream, punch the mirror, do something, anything to get his attention, to stop him, but there was nothing he could do. If he had any doubts before they were long gone now. His brother had a serious problem._

" **Remember what I said about seeing things from Grumpy's point of view Doc."** said Happy, putting a hand on Doc's shoulder.

Doc didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. He had a lump in his throat.

" **If the Queen woke up Grumpy could've died. This way, we never have to worry about the Queen ever again. She's a witch anyway."**

 _He can't keep doing this…_

" **He saved all of our lives, including Snow White's."**

 _It's not right…_

" **The ones you love should always come before your own sense of morality."**

 _He has no morality…_

" **Please don't call the police."**

 _I'm calling the police._

After disposing of the Queen, Grumpy felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders and a sense of pride. _He did the right thing. He did a GREAT thing. He rid the world of a terrible evil. He put his family before himself._

" **Doc would never have done that."** said Grumpy with a proud smile, brushing the dirt off his hands.

" **Okay I know that looks bad, but I'm sure he's just-"**

" **Be quiet Happy. Just…just be quiet."**

While turning to leave the mine he tripped over Dopey who was curled up into a little ball. He had woken up some time before, and he had seen everything.

Dopey hid his head in his arms as Grumpy approached and shook wildly when he tried to help him up.

" **Now what's all this about? I did ya' all a favor! You should be thanking me."**

Dopey tried to scramble away, but he became dizzy as soon as he stood up. Grumpy caught him as he fell and helped him onto the elevator and out of the mine. Dopey was too light-headed to resist.

" **Ya' ain't looking so good."**

Dopey nodded and put a sleeve to his head.

" **Stay here, let me get ya' some water."**

As Grumpy went to the tent to fetch a canteen, Dopey took a gem that he had kept to show him and threw it hatefully. He no longer wanted it anywhere near him.

" **Ah!"**

Dopey winced as the gem bounced off Grumpy's head.

" **Watch where yer throwin' things ya' fool! Wha…what is that…?"**

Grumpy used his tunic to pick the glowing gem off the ground cautiously. Dopey shook his head wildly and motioned for him to drop it, which he immediately did.

" **Not safe eh? Is that what made ya' sick? Ya' seem fine now."**

Grumpy threw the canteen of water to Dopey who caught it clumsily.

" **Where'd ya' get this here gem?"**

Dopey pointed towards the mine and ran. Grumpy grabbed some more fruit and went after him.

Dopey motioned him to get into the elevator and they headed back up to the second floor of the mine. It didn't take long for them to reach the cart and once there Grumpy instantly saw the glowing gems scattered on the ground, and above a hole that seemed to glow all the colors of the rainbow.

" **Gimme a boost will ya'?"**

Dopey shook his head and tried to pull his brother away from the area.

" **I ain't going for a hike; I just want to see what's up there."**

Reluctantly, his brother gave him a boost and Grumpy quickly scanned the tunnel. As soon as he stuck his head in he felt horrible.

Climbing down from Dopey he noticed that the normal gems around the glowing ones were beginning to glow as well. _It's infecting the mine…_

" **Does anyone else know about this here room?"**

Dopey hesitated.

" **Besides the person who made it."** said Grumpy already irritated.

Dopey shook his head.

" **Good. This room is poison! These gems are poison! Yer' lucky to be alive."**

At the word "alive" Dopey remembered the Queen and wrung his tunic nervously in his hands.

" **The others still at the shop?"**

Dopey nodded meekly.

" **All right then let's go git em' before they discover this place and our mine is completely useless."**

" **Give us the phone Doc."**

" **No!"**

Doc stood with his back against the wall and a cell phone in his hand. He had grabbed it from Ferdinand's pocket without anyone noticing, but the buttons made sounds when he pressed them. _What was the number again?_

" **We said we wouldn't turn him in. You need to keep your promise. She was a witch anyway."**

" **You think it matters to Grumpy who it was? Even if this murder was okay, the fact that he did it without hesitation means Grumpy needs help! We need to call the police!"**

" **He doesn't need…the police will just lock him up."**

The others nodded in agreement with Happy.

" **He needs a therapist!"**

" **I doubt he'll find one in jail."** said Sleepy who had taken to sitting down and leaning against the box.

" **It would be nice if you helped us out…"**

" **I've been running around for days (yawn) do it yourself."**

Suddenly Doc made a run for it and dashed towards the exit. He didn't make it far. Sneezy let out a giant sneeze and blew the cellphone out of Doc's hand and into the box, where it clattered on the glowing gem path below.

" **You should really see someone for…whatever that was."**

" **I got Hay fever."** said Sneezy whipping his nose off on his sleeve.

" **That's a pretty extreme case!"**

" _ **Would you two stop chatting and help us?"**_

Happy and Bashful were trying their best to hold Doc back from diving into the box. A very hard feat considering his size and strength.

" **Whoa! Hold on there! We don't know what those gems will do to you gnomes! Let me ask the mirror."**

" **Mirror, mirror, on the wall, what sickness will befall them all?"**

The mirror shimmered and swirled like it was made of water and a masked face suddenly appeared.

" **The sickness caused by the gems I presume? It will certainly be the death of you. Ill fortune will befall you gnomes, if you're not careful where you roam. The tunnel means death if wandered too far, Snow White should be rescued by human arms."**

With that, the mirror shimmered and swirled again, and then faded to black.

" **Well that was kind of it. We didn't even ask about Snow White."** said Happy with a smile.

Doc had given up on the cell phone, and had taken to sitting on the floor, depressed and angry.

" **Could you ask it when Grumpy and Dopey are going to be here?"**

" **That ain't necessary."**

Grumpy entered the storage room dragging Dopey by his tunic behind him.

 _He's already itching to touch everything…_

Doc quickly got up and straightened his glasses in an attempt to compose himself. Grumpy didn't notice him or his brothers who backed away from him as he walked toward Ferdinand angrily.

" **Yer' the Prince!"**

" **Actually my name is Ferdinand and I'm a-"**

" **I don't care. Where's Snow White? Where'd ya' put her?"**

Doc cleared his throat and puffed out his chest in an attempt to regain his courage.

" **Grumpy, we saw what you d-did! The first time we let it slide, but this time we saw you! You need to t-turn yourself in and get some help for your finger, er, your anger management issues!"**

" **As soon as yer speech impediment disappears."**

" **You know it's almost completely gone, and you're not funny!"**

" **Where'd ya' hide her?"**

" **Don't you ignore me!"**

" **I didn't hide her anywhere. We went down into that tunnel there, and she just collapsed and fell into a comma."**

" **A what?"**

" **A deep sleep."**

" **Why didn't ya' fall asleep yerself?"**

" **I had a suit on to protect me, and I know how that sounds-"**

" **Heh! Ya' better have a good explanation for that."**

" **He's right you know."** said Sleepy.

" **I know how dangerous he is, don't worry. Grumpy you're a reasonable uhh…person, you must know how important science is to the world."**

" **She yer experiment?"**

" **Experiment wouldn't be the word I'd use-"**

" **Go git her and use someone else."**

" **Grumpy!"**

" **What? It ain't none of our business after we git Snow White back. Let em' work."**

" **Let him work? He's experimenting on people!"**

" **People we don't know. We ain't got no business buttin' into his life's work!"**

" **It's not actually my life's work. I heard rumors about this mirror and I wanted to know what it was made of. So I did some research, unfortunately I found nothing."**

" **So ya' needed a part of that there mirror."**

" **Yes. I needed a sample to study, but it was being guarded by the Queen. I needed a way to get into the castle…"**

" **So ya' dressed up like a prince and decided to try and win Snow White's heart."**

" **Exactly. If I became king the castle would be mine. The people would choose me over the Queen any day of the week whether I had my own kingdom or not. She'd easily be overthrown, magic or no."**

" **Didn't you hear about the Queen's d-death?"**

" **I did. I journeyed to the castle as soon as I heard, but I could not get in. It was like there was an invisible barrier surrounding the castle. I thought maybe she put it up to avoid robbery."**

" **Then you heard about Snow White?"**

" **Actually I heard about her before I even reached the castle, but the rumors said she was dead so…"**

" **So what'd ya' do?"**

" **I tried to tunnel under the castle. I had to do it in a secluded location though, and what better place to dig a hole than in the shop of a place that sells digging tools?"**

" **You dug (ahh achoo!) a tunnel to the castle with a spade?"**

" **So that's where ya' found the poison gems? Ya' made quite a path."**

" **Thank you-"**

" **And it leads right above our mine."**

" **Is that a problem?"**

" **I ain't stupid. We've been working those mines our whole life and we ain't seen these gems until today? Our mine is to the right,** _ **FAR**_ **away from the castle."**

" **So?"**

" **So why are there two paths?"**

" **What are you talking about?"**

" **Dopey, while we were heading to meet the others decided to stop and draw a picture of the tunnel. There were two paths. I don't know why that boy loves dirt so much…"**

" **There weren't enough gems in this area to reach the castle…"**

" **So ya' just decided to steal ours?"**

" **What?!"**

" **These gems of his infect ours. He stole ours and infected them in order to make his glowing path!"**

" **So YOU'RE the reason our mine is going dry!"**

Ferdinand quickly took a step back and put his hands up nervously.

" **I needed them! I don't know anything about electric wiring! I can't set up lights in here!"**

" **Ya' could've used the solar lanterns here, lyin' thief!"**

" **Do you know how many lanterns I'd need to light up a tunnel towards the castle?! Those things are $18.45 each!"**

" **Cheap, piece of-"**

Doc ran between Grumpy and Ferdinand.

" **Calm d-down Grumpy. Let the police handle him."**

" **No."**

" **Do you want to go to jail too?"**

" **But ya' said-"**

" **That doesn't mean you can d-do whatever you want! We'll let the huntsman and Queen slide, but this man is not a threat! Now give me that!"**

Grumpy looked at him confused, until he noticed he had his pick ax drawn.

 _When did I pull this out?!_

Dropping it, he looked around at his brothers, his hands shaking.

" **Ahh umm…"**

" **Why don't you sit down next to Happy?"**

" **Y-Yeah, I need to sit down…I need to sit down…"**

Grumpy sat down next to his brother with his head down. Happy rubbed his back in an attempt to make him feel better.

" **N-Now you listen here! We want Snow White back, and if you promise not to steal anymore of our gems, we won't call the police."**

Ferdinand started laughing.

" **Or you could get out of my face before I show the cops this mirror. I bet if I asked nicely the mirror would show them exactly what happened at the mine a while ago."**

" **Don't you** _ **DARE!"**_

" **Why not? A criminal's a criminal right? Weren't you going to call them a second ago?"**

Grumpy raised his head.

" _ **No! I mean yes! I mean I got scared! I just got scared, that's all!"**_

" **Yes you were, and ya' would. As soon as my back is turned you'd try it. Well I ain't gonna give ya' the satisfaction."**

Grumpy got up and walked towards Doc…and then right passed him.

With a mighty push he sent Ferdinand stumbling into the box and down, down, down, until he hit the path and went right through it, becoming impaled on the sharp spikey gems on the second floor of their mine below.

" _ **Wha-Why?! Why did you do that?!"**_

" **I didn't have a future either way."**

" _ **I could've handled it! This isn't like the Queen and Humbert! People are going to be looking for him!"**_

" **I** _ **know**_ **."**

" **What? What are you doing?!** _ **Get out of that box! Someone help me!"**_

Everyone pulled on his tunic struggling to keep Grumpy away from the box, but he merely took it off and sent them somersaulting backwards.

Moving the box and revealing the hole, he began to carefully climb down the ladder. _Snow White's down here somewhere…_

When he got to the hole Ferdinand made when he fell, he gripped the bottom rung and pushed himself backward, over the hole, and onto the path that wasn't broken. He almost lost his balance on the edge, but he managed to keep from falling.

 _Not bad for someone my age…_

Grumpy scanned the area and found Dopey's muddy foot prints leading down the east path.

 _Well if Snow White isn't east…_

He only took a few steps before he began to feel _really_ sick.

Thinking the sickness might be in the air; Grumpy covered his mouth with his hat and walked on. He avoided touching the walls and looking directly at the gems as well, and it

helped a bit, but he still felt horrible and he had a feeling he still had a long ways to go if he was going to find the princess.

" **Doc, hold on a minute! You're just going to get sick too, and slow him down!"**

Happy blocked his brother from the hole.

" **Move! I need to talk to him! He needs to get out of there!"**

" **That's not the place to have an argument!"**

" _ **Then I'll drag him out!"**_

" **Up the ladder?"**

" _ **Y-YES!"**_

The other brothers sat on the floor and watched the scene with interest.

" _ **Why do you guys always do this whenever something bad is happening?! Help me out!"**_

The others sighed and got up to help him hold Doc back. Again. They were still tired from all the excitement they'd had all day, and some of them began looking at one another, half-expecting them to have a heart attack.

" _ **Let me go! It's my fault he's d-down there! He's gonna kill himself!"**_

" **He's not gonna kill himself. He's just looking for Snow White."**

" **Yeah, he'll do that after he finds Snow White and lifts her up here."** said Sleepy.

Happy looked over Doc's shoulder in disbelief.

" **Do you even hear the words that come out of your mouth?"**

" **Sometimes."**

Surprisingly it didn't take long at all to find Snow White sprawled across the ground. She wasn't even a mile away. Apparently Ferdinand didn't like the idea of walking too far.

Grumpy looked behind him, to find the ladder in plain sight _. They weren't far away from it at all, but it had felt like he had walked an eternity…_

" **Cheap, lazy…"**

Grumpy was actually pleased with Ferdinand's laziness, but his agony still made him feel hateful enough to insult him.

Dragging the young girl behind him, he reached the ladder and called out to his brothers.

" _ **Hey! Someone grab er' before I collapse!"**_

Happy let his guard down in surprise, and Doc quickly broke away, raced to the hole, and grabbed her.

" _ **I g-got her!"**_

The other brothers grabbed Snow White's arms and together they were able to pull her out.

" **Jiminy Crickets…"** said Happy in awe.

" **She looks like she (haah achoo!) hasn't changed a bit!"**

" _ **Never mind that! We n-need to get Grumpy out!"**_

Doc held out his hand to Grumpy…but he didn't take it.

" **Grumpy please…"**

" **There ain't no point."**

Angry, Doc rolled up his sleeves.

" _ **I knock you out and lift you up then!"**_

" **Ya' couldn't hit water if ya' fell out of a boat, and what makes ya' think I won't try again when I wake up? Ugh…"**

With a shudder Grumpy fell to one knee, and Doc's anger was instantly replaced with panic.

" **Someone talk to him! Make him come out! Make him come out…"**

He dropped to the ground and curled up into a ball _. He had had enough. The stress was too much for him to handle. He had been in hysterics all day, and he just felt drained…_

 _He won't come out…he'll never come out…_

" **You're gonna make Doc cry again."** warned Sleepy.

" **Eh? What? He cryin'?"**

" **Uhhh…hold on…yep. Yep he's cryin'. You made him cry twice now. Is it twice? I can't remember."**

" **Heh! When he snaps out of it, tell him it's not his fault. I ain't stayin' cause' of him."**

" **That's not why he's upset Grumpy…"** said Happy exasperated.

" **If he don't feel guilty, he ain't got no reason to cry."**

" **He does if he cares about you."**

" **He don't, and I don't care. I'm sick of him and I'm sick of you. I'm sick of everybody in this here family."**

" **W-What? That's not true!"**

" **What'd I do?"**

" **Quiet Sleepy."**

" **It is true. I'm sick of Happy's cheerful nonsense, I'm sick of Dopey knocking things over, I'm sick of having to repeat myself to Sleepy, I'm sick of waiting three hours for Bashful to complete a sentence, I'm sick of being blown out of windows or across the room by one of Sneezy's nasal explosions, and I'm sick of yer bossy attitude. So Imma stay down here."**

" **That's not what I meant-"**

" _ **Leave me be!"**_

Grumpy's sudden yelling made the other jumpy brothers huddle together, but it was what he said that really scared them. _He was definitely serious._

" **You can't really be that unhappy…?"**

" **I already told ya' I ain't doing this because of you. Ya' ain't** _ **listening.**_ **"**

Snow White began to stir.

" **I** _ **am**_ **l-listening. I understand completely."**

Doc headed down the ladder.

" **What are ya' all doing? Get back up there!"**

" **No. You need to understand how m-much we care about you. If you don't like us, then you should enjoy watching us suffer."**

" **Fool! I didn't say I didn't like ya', I'm just sick of ya'…I do hate you though. Not that ya' care."**

" **I don't know how to prove we DO care…"**

" **Go back up there, and tend to Snow White, and don't come back here, don't even look down here or talk to me. That'll be proof enough."**

Doc swung himself over to Grumpy and landed next to him.

" **That's what I thou-oomph!"**

Doc gave Grumpy a hug and headed back up.

" **Oh dear! Where am I? Why do you all look so sad?"**

The gnomes didn't hear Snow White. They were already grieving for their brother.

" **Where's Grumpy? This is his isn't it? Yoo-hoo! Grumpy! I found your tunic!"**

Snow White saw Doc climb out of the hole in the ground and skipped over to him.

" **Is Grumpy down there?"**

Doc nodded.

" **Can he see me? Can I give him his tunic?"**

Doc shook his head.

" **Grumpy did something really bad and now he's in trouble. It's best you leave him be."**

" **Ooohh, that's too bad…when is he getting out?"**

" **He's not coming out, he's going to die."** said Sleepy.

Snow White gasped and dropped the tunic in shock, putting her hand to her mouth, and it fell into the mine.

" **Sleepy!"**

" **What?"**

Grumpy grabbed his tunic before it fell through the hole and was just barely able put it on.

" **Oh my, that's horrible! What could poor Grumpy of done to deserve such a punishment?"**

" **He killed three people."** replied Sleepy.

Doc punched him in the arm.

" **Stop talking! She d-doesn't need to hear that!"**

" **Killed? Three people? Oh no, not Grumpy…"**

" **You're really surprised?"**

" _ **Someone shut him up!"**_

" **The first one was a huntsman, the second was the Queen, and the third was Ferdinand."**

" **The Queen? But I heard my step-mother was already dead…and who's Ferdinand? Oh it doesn't matter. Grumpy? Grumpy please come out? As the new Queen, I hereby pardon any crimes you've committed!"**

There was no answer from within the mine.

" **Can she do that?"** asked Happy.

" **I d-don't know. Maybe."** replied Doc hopefully.

" **Grumpy? Grumpy I command you to come out of there immediately! Why won't he move?"**

" **He's probably dead."** said Sleepy.

The brothers grabbed Sleepy, Sneezy put a hand over his mouth and kept it there.

" **Oh no! Someone help me get him!"**

" **We aren't allowed down there."** said Doc sadly.

" **As Queen I will allow this."**

" **As his brother I cannot obey your order. He told us not to even look in the mine."**

Snow White frowned and climbed down the ladder. She almost slipped a couple of times, and when she pushed herself from the wall to the edge of the hole where Grumpy lay, she fell. She ended up dangling from the edge with only her arms propping her up.

" **Oh dear…"**

Luckily, working as a scullery maid made her arms strong. She was able to pull herself up and out of the hole and to safety.

Looking down she saw Ferdinand's body impaled on the spikey gems below…the gems that were making her very sleepy…

" **That must be Ferdinand...My, he looks familiar. Grumpy? Are you all right?"**

She shook Grumpy's motionless body and decided he wasn't.

" **Let's get you (yawn) out of here…"**

Calling up to the gnomes, Snow White tossed Grumpy into the air and out of the mine, where they quickly caught him. Luckily he didn't hit his nose on the wall.

" **Hello?"**

Snow White waited for the gnomes to reach for her, but they were too busy trying to wake Grumpy.

Frustrated, she pulled up her dress and jumped towards the ladder. Letting go of her gown, in mid-air, she caught the third rung of the ladder and began to climb up on her own.

" **Grumpy? Grumpy are you all right?"** asked Doc.

" **He's breathing. That's a good sign!"** said Happy cheerfully.

Doc wasn't so cheerful.

 _He could still be really sick…_

Sneezy tried aiming his sneezes toward Grumpy, but he just slid across the room like a hockey puck.

" **Maybe you can wake him up with some water?"** suggested Snow White.

" **I d-did see a watering can here. We could fill it up with water from…uh…"**

Dopey walked out of the room and grabbed the nearest person he could find, he then dragged them to Doc, who seemed a bit annoyed, but grateful.

" **Oh it's you again! How may I help you?"**

" **Again? Do we know you?"**

The young woman smiled and extended her hand, which Doc shook, still confused.

" **We spoke about Grumpy's job remember? I'm the manager of Garden and Yard Décor."**

" **Oh y-yes! I do remember you! Could you please tell us where we can find some water? We need it as wickly as possible, er, possible as quickly, egh!"**

Doc slowly took a deep breath.

" **We need it as quickly as possible please."** said Doc slowly.

" **The nearest place is the restroom sink."**

" **Thank you very much."**

" **You're welcome. After you're finished, please refrain from entering the back room again, it's off limits to cust…is that Grumpy? Is he alright? What happened?"**

" **Where's the restroom?"**

" **Here just use my water bottle. Don't worry about the mess; I'll clean it up later."**

" **Thank you, that was very kind."**

Doc poured the icy water on Grumpy's face, and he immediately awoke, shaking his head and glaring venomously.

" **Oh Grumpy, you're all right! I was so very worried!"** said Snow White relieved.

Grumpy didn't look at her. He kept his eyes locked on Doc's, rage swirling within.

Suddenly, Doc found it difficult to breath.

" **You sure were heavier than I expected! You may want to put off the sweets for a bit."**

Grumpy's expression changed completely. His hateful look replaced with one of confusion, realization, and finally disbelief.

" **Heh! Ya' wouldn't know tubby if ya' looked in that there mirror."** said Grumpy, a bit put off.

" **Oh! Our mirror! Oh mirror, mirror, on the wall, where's my prince? The one you saw?"** asked Snow White, completely oblivious to Grumpy's insult.

" **Do you (yawn) have to use rhymes to get it to work? They're annoying…and bad."**

" **Didn't you have a hand over his mouth?"** asked Doc.

" **My arm got tired…"** replied Sneezy.

" **There is no prince, you've been misled. Your kidnapper, Ferdinand, he is dead."**

Snow White's eyes filled with tears.

" **No p-prince?"**

Happy gave the distraught princess a hug.

" **It's alright, that just means your true love is still out there! In the meantime, you have us!"**

" **Ooohh, (sniff) but you're so old…"**

" **Humph! Foolish woman! Ya' don't need no man to live yer life happily."**

" **Bu-But-"**

" **Ya' ain't gonna be no housewife! Get a job!"**

" **Waaaahhhhh!"**

" **Now, now, relax. What Grumpy's trying to say-"**

" **Be quiet, ya' banshee!"**

" **(sigh) What Grumpy's trying to say is, you're Queen now. You don't need a man to provide for you, not that they wouldn't visit the castle anyway. E-Even if you decide not to be a queen you'll still be famous. You're a very talented singer, cook, and maid. Everyone will know your name!"**

" **That's exactly what I meant. Except for the Queen bit. We need that castle, our home burnt down and our mine's infected…we're pretty much broke."**

" **Your home is gone?"**

" **Yes, that's exactly what I just finished telling ya'."**

" **It burnt down?"**

Grumpy turned around and shook his head in defeat _. He had forgotten how stupid she was._

" **Well, that's alright! You can all stay with me! I'd be so very lonely all by myself…"**

" **But that means I'll lose an employee…"** said the poor manager.

" **Oh, that's fine. I'll promote your store! I can be a queen and a writer!"**

" **Writin's for intelligent people. Get someone else to write articles or somethin'."**

Snow White put her hands on her hips and pouted.

" **I'm plenty smart! I'll have you know I got the barrier around the castle to disappear AND found the mirror all by myself! Of course it took a few tries to remember the spell…and I needed help getting the mirror here…why DID we come here? He said he wanted to get you all presents I think..."**

" **Git someone else to write."**

" **Humph!"**

" **It's alright, Grumpy's only playing…..right?"** asked Happy.

" **Of course he is. He's c-cares about us, almost as much as we care about him. Isn't that right Grumpy?"**

Grumpy turned to look at him.

He didn't say anything….

He didn't need to say anything….

His smile was all they needed.


End file.
